Workshop 1:​Animal & Nature Based Physical Activity as a Source for Resilience

​Canada is facing a wellbeing crisis noticeable in historically low levels of population physical activity, but also impacting mental wellbeing and resilience. The crisis has a devastating impact economically (healthcare and social costs, and population productivity) , and socio-economic differentials make some populations more vulnerable than others. Recent decades of deficit oriented practice results in a split between therapeutic and mainstream physical recreation.Sport-for-development (S4D) is an emerging field which re-integrates therapeutic and normative developmental support by structuring physical recreation to simultaneously meet multiple wellbeing goals. S4D is a newcomer in several long and broader traditions of using physical activity and nature in human learning and psycho-social development. While quite popular as an international development and social intervention modality through the early 2000’s, data gaps in S4D around participant benefit challenge program design and ongoing funding. The knowledge gaps have been referred to as a ‘lack of evidence’ discourse caused by preference for quantitative methodologies resulting in non-scalable case study observations and relegation of rich expressions of participant experience to anecdotal margins.Deep traditions outside dominant sport activity models such as GreenCare and outdoor learning are richer in theory and data. Nature and animal-based physical activity seems to provide a particularly rich environment for experiential learning and fostering resilience. Some common theory includes facilitating presence and mindfulness, attention restoration and attachment mechanisms, impact of positive neuro-transmitters generated on learning and affect, and development of self-efficacy and self-care through body language competence and awareness. However, these theoretical explanations are not tightly linked to study data, creating a specific gap in knowledge around participant benefit and lifeskill acquisition and transfer. This presentation explores S4D as a source for resilience. The literature is compared to personal experience and my doctoral research exploring participant lived experience and resilience through photo-voice with youth members of 4-H horse programs.

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